What is the responsibility of individuals in the cost of their care?

Question

what is the responsibility of individuals in the cost of their care? are health savings acconts and high deductible insurance policies and approach that should be expanded? what are the concerns for low-income individuals?

Answer 1

LOL america still dont have free health care! hahahahahaha

Answer 2

Ultimately, individuals are responsible for the costs of their health care.  If they have insurance, then the insurance company pays its part and the individual pays their part.  If they do not have insurance, then the individual pays the entire amount.

High deductible savings accounts are fine if the employer contributes to them.  The high deductible plans were created in order to lower the premium that the employer pays, and it does that, but at the same time it places a greater burden on the employee.  Employers need to keep this in mind when going with the high deductible plans and consider putting a small portion of that savings into the health savings accounts for the employees.

Low income individuals are always at a disadvantage, especially when their employer offers a high deductible health plan.  It would be nice to see an approach where the deductible is based on the income, but that would likely be construed as inequitable, even though in reality it is more equitable than the employee who makes $70,000 paying the same $1,000 deductible as the employee who makes $30,000.  Of course, individuals who cannot manage their finances well will have trouble meeting any deductible amount, whether they are high income or low income.  

I also don't believe that it is right to force the employer to bear the burden of health care costs, although the employer can likely better afford it than the employee.  For me, if I had to make a choice, I would rather have my employer paying a minimum of 80% of my health insurance premium than other benefits such as retirement plan, etc.

What would really be equitable is if the health care industry would start really putting some effort into keeping health care costs down.  My recent stint in the hospital really opened my eyes to the reality of health care costs.  It seems like a lot could be done to help get health care costs down which would benefit everyone, including the health care industry.  

IMHO!!!!

Answer 3

Health insurance should be affordable because health care will never be affordable. I dislike the savings accounts. Low income families with children should be eligible for state sponsored programs as well as middle income families are often eligible for state sponsored reduced cost programs. Individuals should be responsible for their own care. I was without health insurance for 2 years. Just before I got a new job that offered insurance, I was going to get "Individual Blue" from Blue Cross Blue Shield-  it was less than $90/mo for coverage. I think people can afford that and I was making $6.25/hr at that time and was going to purchase the $90/mo plan. People can afford the coverage they just want the government to foot the bill for as much as it possibly can.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I think health insurance policies should be there to cover catastrophic events.  Insurance should not be used for maintenance.  My personal opinion:  a health insurance policy should have an annual $5,000 deductible on it.  People will then be much more judicious in their use of health care services.

Low-income individuals have a problem with all of their expenditures:  low income.  

If people are willing to pay an extra premium, there should be supplemental coverage made available to cover the $5,000 annual deductible.

Answer 6

   In America we have no free health care and you are 100% responsible for your own health care by having insurance, or joining HMO's the only people that receive any kind of funding are the elderly, children, and welfare families, and even then, they end up paying something and the coverage they receive is the bare minimum.